A yacht participating in the 2012 Sail Morotai rally, carrying five people, sunk in the waters off Flores in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) early on Thursday.

As off Thursday noon, the search and rescue team, the NTT Water Police and local fishermen had found one survivor.

However, Comr. Bayu Herlambang from the NTT Water Police said that the survivor, who is reportedly a foreigner, was not available for questioning. “He is still deeply shocked by the incident,” he said.

Bayu said that all documents explaining the origin of the yacht and the identities of its passengers were lost.

The sunken yacht departed from Kupang and headed to Flores on Monday together with dozens of yachts participating in the sailing rally. However, the boat allegedly separated with other vessels it decided to dock for a while at Kalabahi, Alor regency in NTT.

Bayu said that high tidal waves could be the main cause of the incident. “The tidal waves in the waters of Flores can be up to two-meters high,” he said.

A total of 84 yachts carrying 450 people on board are participating in the Morotai sailing rally. They are scheduled to visit 12 spots during their stop at Kupang and various areas in NTT and Maluku.

The participants come from various countries, including Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The international sailing rally was first launched 12 years ago. (riz/lfr)